Jews, Christians unite in rare Hanukkah and Christmas overlap as Peter Dutton issues warning over anti-Semitism

Jews and Christians have been united in celebration for the first time in almost two decades as the major holidays of Hanukkah and Christmas coincide. But amid the celebrations came a stark warning about the rise of anti-Semitism.

Rabbi Yaakov Glasman and Archbishop Peter A Comensoli mark the first day Hanukkah and Christmas have lined up since 2005. Picture: Wayne Taylor

For the first time in almost two decades, the first day of Hanukkah lined up with Christmas Day this year in a rare overlap of the festive holidays.

Jews, Christians and the rest of Victoria’s Christmas revellers were united in celebration on Wednesday as the two major holidays coincided for just the fifth time since 1900.

The momentous overlap – dubbed the Chrismukkah phenomenon – previously fell on December 25, 1910, 1921, 1959 and 2005.

While the eight days of Hanukkah or Chanukah – known as the Festival of Lights – are usually a time to celebrate, for many Jewish families, the holiday period will be overshadowed by rising hatred towards Jews and the plight of the Israeli hostages still in the grips of Hamas.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton warns the sheer magnitute of anti-Semitic incidents will weigh heavily on Jewish Australians.

Amid Christmas wishes, federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton warned that the “sheer magnitude of anti-Semitic incidents” would weigh heavily on Jewish Australians this festive season.

“As fear has permeated our Jewish community, decent Australians have looked on in shock and with disgust at the intimidation, vilification and crime directed against people of Jewish faith,” he wrote on X.

“In a frightening way, Australians who have read about the history and horrors of the Holocaust have, for the first time, grasped how that catastrophe eventuated.”

He also hit out at Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the International Criminal Court for punishing Israel following the Netanyahu government’s deadly response to Hamas’ October 7 massacre last year.

“There’s the chilling reality that in Israel’s hours of need since 7 October 2023, some of its allies have shamefully behaved more like adversaries and demanded standards of Israel which they would never expect of themselves in similar circumstances,” he wrote.

“And there’s the sordid moral inversion of the International Criminal Court that has criminalised Israeli leaders for taking the fight to those terrorists responsible for the greatest loss of Jewish life on a single day since the Holocaust – terrorists who will never rest until the Jewish state is exterminated.”

Rabbi Yaakov Glasman and Archbishop Peter A Comensoli unite to celebrate the rare overlap of the two religious holidays. Picture: Wayne Taylor

Prominent Melbourne religious leader Rabbi Yaakov Glasman said the blending of Christmas and Hanukkah had come at the perfect moment, as the Victorian Jewish community remained on high alert following the firebombing of the Adass Israel Synagogue.

“The confluence of these important Jewish and Christian festivals symbolises how fortunate we are to live in a country where we’re free to practice our respective faiths,” he said.

“For me personally it carries deeper significance because in the face of the shocking rise in anti-Semitism we’ve seen this year, so much of the outpouring of love and support to the Jewish community has come from the Christian community and for this we are so grateful.”

Archbishop Peter Comensoli, who has been a steadfast supporter of the Jewish community, said the rare convergence signified the “light of hope”.

“May our world be filled with the peace and joy that this light brings to all,” he said.

Originally published as Jews, Christians unite in rare Hanukkah and Christmas overlap as Peter Dutton issues warning over anti-Semitism